I admit I’m a little overloaded – and heated from seeing so many of Whitney Houston’s “friends” deflect, deny and blame others while being rather dismissive of their own ignorance and complicity. Kelly Price claiming Houston was “sober” from using certain illegal drugs (ignoring the Rx ones) but that she’d only been a little tipsy from drinking champagne. Chaka Khan blasting Clive Davis for not cancelling his annual pre-Grammy party but saying her fondest memory of Whitney was them getting high with Bobby Brown in Miami. Jennifer Holliday telling the world Whitney experimented with drugs before meeting Bobby Brown. It was 80’s. Drugs were passed around like party favors back then. There’s a huge leap from occasional use to addict. Some people are so happy to get in front of a national audience they forget it isn’t about them! The toxic influence of those closest to Houston was certainly indicative of where her life would go.

Between Nicki Minaj having an exorcism, bands named The Civil Wars and Lady Antebellum – just call yourselves Slavery Nostalgia and call it a day – and the mediocre songs with even more snooze-worthy performancesthe only thing that made it interesting was we could share our pain on Twitter. Adele was good but she doesn’t sound the same post-surgery. If she’s already having problems with her voice at 23 that doesn’t bode well. Bruno Mars channeled Jackie Wilson and James Brown (I know). That might impress the younger set, but for those who are familiar with the work of the originators, derivative performances and appropriation of African-American cultural contributions is annoying. But whose fault is that? I felt we were misled in a way expecting a rousing tribute to Houston, and it was too soon. Jennifer Hudson was excellent though.

Here’s where the criticism gets interesting. We know Chris Brown not only attended, but performed twice! Ken Ehrlich produced the Grammys. There were also enough white women who expressed their desire to be beat up by him on Twitter that someone’s going to step in to police this. The bottom line though is that we often act against our better nature.

The public backlash has obviously touched a nerve.

Lefsetz’s criticism ended with –

The Grammys may have forgiven Chris Brown, but not the public, most of the comments on social media were negative! Meanwhile, he appeared on the telecast twice. Shows that Ken Ehrlich and CBS are out of touch.

To which Erlich replied (I edited the profanity) –

i don’t know who you are, or what you have against me, but if you think i’m out of touch, putting on a show that features dance music with david guetta and deadmau5, performances by every major contemporary act, and trying together the generations, then what the f**k do you call yourself?

it’s because of people like you that the music business is in the trouble it is now, you dinosaur.

I think people deserve a second chance, you know. If you’ll note, he has not been on the Grammys for the past few years and it may have taken us a while to kind of get over the fact that we were the victim of what happened.

What he’s done and what he’s done to reclaim his career and seemingly the kind of person that he has become makes him — I don’t even want to use the word eligible — but you know, it’s time.

What exactly has Brown done of note? Black people sing and dance every day! He sent an F*** you message of his own to his critics despite winning a Grammy. Who voted for him in the first place? The continued support of an unrepentant…I don’t even know what to call him…is a reflection of the blatant misogyny in our society. We can’t let it stand unchallenged.

I was reading a post at Feministe where someone mentioned the irony in the lack of support for Janet Jackson. I will call out Feministe and the whole lot of them for their BS and racio-misogyny when they’re silent about black woman denigration but THIS was on the money. The buck stops with NARAS President Neil Portnow and Les Moonves, CEO of CBS. What’s galling is how CBS and the Grammys BANNED Janet Jackson a few years ago after the Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction. She hasn’t attended or performed on the show since. I have no idea whether Breastgate was an accident or intentional, but there were TWO people involved. Justin Timbersnake was never banned. Somehow Jackson was solely responsible and expected to take the hit. Why are black women simultaneously villified and dismissed? Inside and outside the dead black community, by each other and others.

Onto more “fun” – (c)Rapper Too Short decided he has the skills to guide young black males in the ways of “wooing” (mostly black) women. This is someone who produces extremely graphic disgusting hard-core rap AND he’s been arrested for assault! He should never be given a platform to spread this dangerous message again!

“When you get to late middle school, early high school and you start feeling a certain way about the girls… I’m gonna tell you a couple tricks,” Too Short said in the video. “A lot of the boys are going to be running around trying to get kisses from the girls…We’re going way past that. I’m taking you to the hole.”

He gives graphic detail about overpowering a girl and physical actions that describe rape on a video that was posted during an interview on XXL, managed by Editor-In-Chief Vanessa Satten. You can contact her on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. The video has been pulled while she feigns ignorance of how it was approved in the first place. Yeah right. It’s just some unsuspecting black girl after all. Too Short has described this as a misunderstanding. Sounds like Jerry Sandusky not understanding our collective outrage over his alleged abuse.

Since we already know the majority of black boys and girls are abandoned and inadequately parented, the psychology of media that hypersexualizes them coupled with the community decay is a breeding ground for Rwanda. If you’ve been reading this and other forums you’ve seen the trends. Since these types of violent black males are moving on en masse after practicing on black girls and more white girls think they’re missing out on all the “fun”, when certain non-black men decide to check each other (John Mayer, Letterman) and black males (Roland Martin as of late) more forcibly, the protective walls will come up swiftly!

But we’re not done. Let’s close this conversation with the philosophies of Fox News hack Liz Trotta for the anti-woman trifecta! While I agree men and women aren’t the same, I’m not a (political) feminist and I can smell her BS a mile away. In arguing against women military officers serving more directly in front-line combat, she suggests being raped is a forgone conclusion.

Millions of women have fought in wars and defended their tribes in the history of humankind. They’ve served as medical staff, operated as spies, scouted and always worked under dangerous conditions. That should not deter anyone. We determine our fates and the way we value or devalue each other matters. Where do you stand?

Faith!!!! Oh my god..I am sitting here in awe of your ability to pull these socio/psychological issues together and in disgust of seeing how these issues so deeply impacts us all!! I am almost without words.

Just …really did this editor at XXL really really think she could get away with " I dont know how it was approved" schtick..really?? And your in piece summation that "hey it was just another unsuspecting Black girl after all" was on point perfect. Anyone with half a brain could see that this woman is wellllll out of touch with the brewing "Rwandesque" nature of some black neighborhoods that populate this country.

I just thank you so much for continuing your essays and writing on themes that touch on so many aspects of moving on and upward.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! say it aint so!! i wish someone would arrest this n*gg* AGAIN— some REAL MEN have to stop this nonsense, they have daughters and sisters too…MMM MMMM MMMM ..We went from the glory days of Motown to this in less than 50 years. Read the Bible and see what the Sons of Jacob in Geneis did to Shechem cause their sister Dinah got raped—--i know it sounds redundant but thanks for letting me vent:@:'O Yeah he too short all right; someone need to make him 'shorter'. This coon talkin'bout raping women?! Timberlake aint no good either…DBR is colorblind; they are in ALL RACES and sometimes they money makes um worser